LIBYA: BOXING: Banned by former leader Muammar Gaddafi as too violent, boxing is being revived by a group of men in Tripoli

Record ID: 798497

  • Title: LIBYA: BOXING: Banned by former leader Muammar Gaddafi as too violent, boxing is being revived by a group of men in Tripoli
  • Date: 19th October 2011
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF BOXERS STRAPPING ON GLOVES FORMER LIBYAN BOXER ALI AL-FURJANI (RED TRACKSUIT) SPARRING WITH ANOTHER MAN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FORMER LIBYAN BOXER ALI AL-FURJANI, SAYING: "They published the Green Book in the third trimester in 1979 and it stated: 'there will be a time when aware people will ban wrestling and boxing of all types'. So after that boxing was banned and we were forced to sit. And so God willing it is coming back with the new generation." VARIOUS OF LIBYAN BOXER MAHMOUD ABUSHGEWA (WHITE TRACKSUIT) SPARRNG WITH ANOTHER MAN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FORMER LIBYAN BOXER, MAHMOUD ABUSHGEWA, SAYING: "He banned it at a time when we were about to go to the world championships in the state of Carolina. Libya at that point in the 1970s had been ranked second in Africa."
  • Embargoed: 3rd November 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Libya
  • Country: Libya
  • Topics: Politics,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAAJTYX4ZB9XVO3MN32SPB78NM0
  • Story Text: When world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali was photographed shaking hands with Libya's most promising boxer, few could have known Giubran Zugdani's career was about to end.
    Zugdani had collected victories across the world and still has a file of newspaper clippings to prove it. But Libya's former leader Muammar Gaddafi banned the sport shortly after Zugdani's appearance in the 1976 Olympics and Zugdani, with a generation of talented boxers, disappeared from the competitive ring forever.
    Three decades later the overthrow of Gaddafi has allowed a group of now middle-aged men to dust off their ancient gloves and open the first boxing club in Libya since the sport was outlawed.
    They have set up a sports hall at a football club that formerly belonged to Saadi Gaddafi, the former leader's son, and his team.
    Anywhere else it might be a normal after-school club but just months previously the hall had been reserved exclusively for Saadi Gaddafi and his friends.
    The football club's former director, Mohammed Hamozuda, said he had been kicked out in 1993 when the former leader's son took over.
    Ali Al-Furjani was a promising young boxer when Gaddafi banned the sport.
    "They published the Green Book in the third trimester in 1979 and it stated: 'there will be a time when aware people will ban wrestling and boxing of all types'. So after that boxing was banned and we were forced to sit. And so God willing it is coming back with the new generation," said Furjani.
    Like Furjani, Mahmoud Abushgewa, a championship winner in the 1970s, saw his chance of stardom curtailed.
    "He banned it at a time when we were about to go to the world championships in the state of Carolina. Libya at that point in the 1970s had been ranked second in Africa."
    Both now hope to play their part in to steering a new generation of young Libyans into the sport in the post-Gaddafi era.
    The men carefully stored their gloves, and held training sessions in secret locations, waiting for a time when it would be safe to box in the open again.
    They are still impressively fast.
    Permission has only recently been confirmed by the interim government but classes are already starting at 5.30 p.m. every day and are free of charge.
    Many of the new students are the sons of the former boxers, the youngest still small enough to take this new freedom for granted.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register